Why “Shankh” at the Delhi Airport makes a lot of sense? And why its critics make no sense at all?

In what shows sheer Hinduphobia that is constantly brewing within the elitist journalism circles of the country, the left liberal media has agitated against a slow-rotating Shankh (conch), which moves on its vertical axis that was installed at the Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International airport in October last year.

Infamous NDTV journalist, Sunetra Choudhury, went on to tweet, “Oh my dear lord @DelhiAirport, this is even uglier than the carpet. Please remove,” in a clear Hinduphobic attempt to get the Shankh removed.

Choudhury who is infamous for her tweet cursing swine flu upon PM Modi, has faced severe criticism over her despicable remark about the giant Shankh at the IGI Airport in Delhi.

A Twitter user brought to light how she had tweeted praise for Humayun’s Tomb situated in Delhi, and now she finds the Shankh ugly. While another Twitter user mocked her for acting as if the Airport was decorated out of her own money.

Even if we were to ignore Choudhury’s lack of appreciation for aesthetics and insidiously raising a demand for removal of the giant Shankh months after it was installed, her Tweet really doesn’t make any sense.

Shankh is the most appropriate marker of Indian culture that could have been installed at an airport, and that too an international airport. It is a sign of welcoming honoured guests and a reflection of our cultural ethos of Atithi Devo Bhava, apparently something very difficult to comprehend for the Lutyens’ journalists.

In fact, in the ancient days, the Shankh formed an inseparable part of the Indian culture. People were especially trained in the art of blowing the Shankh. One of the many uses of the Shankh was welcoming an honoured guest. It used to be blown with a soothing note to welcome such guests.

Installing the Shankh at Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi is therefore a wonderful gesture on India’s part to welcome those visiting the country from all corners of the world.

And what better place than Delhi to install the Shankh. Delhi is not only the National Capital of the country, but is also an important cultural location of India. While certain “eminent” journalists like the one who has demanded the removal of the Shankh are adamant on reducing its historical significance into a city of the Mughals, Delhi was actually the Capital of the Pandavas in the ancient days.

Indraprastha, which was built by the Pandavas, is interestingly the earliest reference to a settlement in the present day Delhi. The Purana Qila (Old Fort) in Delhi is believed to have been built by the Mughals on the remains of the Indraprastha, the ancient city which had been built by the Pandavas.

In the context of the origins of Indraprastha in Delhi, it is relevant to mention that even Lord Krishna has great affinity for the Shankh in the Hindu religion. His Shankh is known as the Pancajanya, which represents dharma (righteousness), one of the four objects (purusarthas) of human life.

In fact, there are two famous verses in the first chapter of the Bhagvad Gita which give a vivid description of Lord Krishna’s Shankhs and the Pandavas on the battlefield of Kurukshetra.

In such circumstances, it is only fitting that the Shankh was installed in the Delhi Airport. It is not only a wonderful gesture welcoming tourists and other visitors to the National Capital of India from other countries, but it is also a marker of the rich culture and the history of Delhi.

Representation of a city or country’s culture is not peculiar to Delhi. Even the Bangkok Airport in Thailand depicts a scene of Samudra Manthan, an event that is crucial and significant to Hinduism. Such is the importance of Samudra Manthan that it appears in two Puranas (Bhagavad Purana and Vishnu Purana, as well as the Mahabharata).

It is only natural that a giant Shankh has been installed at the Delhi Airport, and it makes no sense for anyone to have an objection with the Shankh. They may accept it or not, but the Shankh not just forms a part of our history and culture, but is also in line with cultural values that India, as a nation, continues to espouse.